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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. current — happening now
  5. rock — music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. file — a document
  9. saw — the tool
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rock — a stone
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. current — of water
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. file — a line of people
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pit — a hole
  20. file — a tool
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. current — electric
  23. pit — in a race
  24. sharp — with an edge

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com